Church campaigners
David Sanders provides eyewitness testimony to a report I heard from a couple of places last week -- a van from St. Marks Baptist Church, the predominantly black powerhouse in midtown LR headed by Steven Arnold had been seen in use of crew putting up campaign signs for Little Rock judicial candidate Mark Leverett.
For the record: Leverett's campaign consultant, Robert McLarty, insisted to me last week that no church property had been used in the Leverett campaign. He also said it was merely coincidence that I'd noted that all the Leverett signs I'd seen included his photograph in black neighborhoods but not white neighborhoods. (He's black.) McLarty said a new sign order with photograph had come in and they'd be placed in all neighborhoods. The signs without photographs were just holdovers from the primary election.
More troubling than signs or use of a tax-exempt church's participation in a political race is Leverett's history of fighting the Freedom of Information Act in defending the curious activities of Circuit Judge Willard Proctor's problematic Cycle Breakers probation program, still under investigation by several agencies for its cash-handling and extrajudicial practices. If elected, I wonder, will Leverett, too, form a partnership with Cycle Breakers.
(Somebody asked: No he's not related to Times publisher Alan Leveritt, who spells his last name differently.)
Comments
But, who's watching the churches of thousands? Surely eLwood will not get up early on Sunday
to learn if Armanie Ronnie is admonishing his church to cast the video directed "Vote God."
.
Posted by: eLwood![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/nav-commenters.gif)
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October 5, 2008 10:55 AM
Two observations:
1) Take Sanders for what he is worth.
2) If Sullivan lacks that much spine to stand up to a paid consultant over a matter of law then he doesn't need to be a judge.
Posted by: Stump![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/nav-commenters.gif)
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October 5, 2008 12:03 PM
I don't like Democratic funny business any better than I like Republican funny business. Crooked is crooked and slimy is slimy....period. Combining the fundamentalist with the racist with those over 80 will make John McCain hard to beat. Oh, I left out the Tim Griffin style vote rigging that's been perfected by the RNC.
As long as we allow them to get away with it...they will DO IT.
Posted by: Deathbyinches![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/nav-commenters.gif)
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October 5, 2008 12:56 PM
Re Mark Leverett's signs in west Little Rock having no pictures- that's not true, at least for campaign signs of his I've seen on both Chenal Parkway and Kanis Road west of Shackleford Road. What made me notice them is so few campaign signs have a candidate's picture on them (too expensive to make, I guess). Those signs bearing Leverett's picture have been up for a number of weeks and I pass them most days.
All I can speak to is the Leverett campaign signs I've seen with my own eyes. Since we live in the county we don't vote in that race, so I don't have a dog in this hunt.
Posted by: Sound Policy![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/nav-commenters.gif)
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October 5, 2008 10:32 PM
Amen,
Endorse a candidate or use church resources to advance the campaign of one person and you become a Political Action Committee (PAC) and lose your right to tax exempt status regardless of your denomination or political affiliations.
It's a good amendment to the tax-law and not difficult to follow. It's easy to comply just like the "Fairness Doctrine," unless you are a lazy conservative whiner like Greenburg, who can't be bothered with trying to present both sides of an problem like real journalists or reporters (see today's column in the demozette). But then that's probably why he's with Hussman's demozette.
Posted by: docholliday![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/nav-commenters.gif)
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October 5, 2008 11:42 PM